Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Are we talking about the same GOP?

In comments over at Unc's, reader armed_partisan writes:
Picking Romney is easily the stupidest thing the GOP has done in my lifetime...
I don't know, is it really any stupider than Dole or McCain? It seems like it's almost a reflex action for the GOP to oppose a young-ish charismatic candidate with a tepid benchwarmer with all the vibrant charisma of a tub of library paste. Heck, it's almost like it's a party tradition.

18 comments:

aczarnowski said...

Maybe armed_partisan is only 10?

Jay G said...

Yeah, it's not like they haven't done the "It's my turn!" routine a whole metric pantsload of times...

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

One could make the equally stupid (and therefore equally valid) comment that picking Obama was the stupidest thing the Dems have done since Carter.

It's all relative. Romney can beat Obama as long as Obama keeps self-destructing like he's been doing lately. So maybe it wasn't such a stupid idea after all.

perlhaqr said...

I might argue stupider than Dole, because the world situation wasn't as dire then (not that I'm counting on TEAM RED to fix anything anyway) but not stupider than McCain.

The one argument I might see how Romney is a worse choice this go around is that the GOP is basically throwing away the one chunk of their constituency that actually has any bloody energy. Does anyone (in the GOP) actually get excited by Captain Rino?

Brad K. said...

Perhaps the stupid part of picking Romney isn't adhering to the party line,

but so obviously declining to take advantage of the weaknesses of a dysfunctional, inept, thug of an opponent by picking someone . . of character, and honor, and that embodies the will of most Americans. Not just able to raise the most money.

OtherWhiteMatt said...

I guess its debatable about if its the stupider to pick McCain or Romney. McCain I feel is the worst candidate of the two- Romney would be better (if only mildly).

But picking Romney over Paul vs McCain over the others has to be stupider. You have a passionate following that could really get out the votes and convince those that favor Obama that Paul would be better. Instead, that 20% of the GOP vote, and who knows how much of the independent vote, will never choose Romney.

This race is over. Obama will win.

RKN said...

One canard pinned to Paul was he's too old, nevermind that he could and would beat any of his GOP debaters in a 50-mile bike race. In searing Texas heat at that.

No, the real problem for Paul, in terms of losing the nomination, was the alignment of his ridicule with Team America: World Police, something old guard GOPers (the majority) I suspect found none too funny, and all too threatening.

Plus all the sundry boogah boogah around "He's really a Libertarian!"

Lewis said...

Stupider than Operation Iraqi Liberation? (Or it's hastily renamed successor, Operation Iraqi Freedom?)

Anonymous said...

Primary today in KY and I voted for Dr. Paul, not because I like him but because I'm flipping the bird at the college of cardinals that run the GOP.

Gerry

Tam said...

Lewis,

I was speaking of politics qua politics.

There is a distinction between "a political party" and "some politician or group of politicians that belong to said party".

The Old Man said...

So mebbe someone could mention a presidential candidate of either party that does not such rocks? Since fill-in-the-blank?
I thought not...

The Old Man said...

I meant suck not such, but y'all understand...

JFP said...

Ugh, no this is not the worst thing the GOP has done, not in my 33 years.

I'd vote Dole as the worst but only because I had to see him in those damn Pepsi and Viagra commercials afterwards.

I still say Romney of all the players who lasted is the only one who has a shot to win it. That saddens me but it is what it is. If it was Newt or Santorum, I'd not even bother to vote in November.

perlhaqr said...

The Old Man: I'll be voting for Gary Johnson.

Brad K. said...

@ OtherWhiteMatt,

"You have a passionate following that could really get out the votes"

My impression is that 96% (or at last most) of those that would ever listen to or vote for Paul are already passionate followers. Paul isn't much for an inclusive message, one that grabs the undecided and uncommitted voter.

Sorry. I for one tuned Ron Paul and his message out long ago. Besides, he looks too much like Pat Paulson. Then there is the whole Peter Paul Mounds thing (Sometimes you feel like a nut/ Sometimes you don't). *sigh*

Moogie P said...

Perhaps. But he's breathing, and he's to the right of Obama.

Once Free Man said...

Moogie, that's not saying much.
The tilde on my keyboard is to the right of Obama.

Anonymous said...

I'm listening to the chatter, boo-hoo, Mittens is a Rino, yabba yabba. And I agree, he ain't my first choice by a damnsight. But the hand has been dealt, crying won't change it. The only play we got left is get Barry out of office, and get enough young Turks in the House and Senate to keep Mitt honest. And the State houses, like Wis. seems to be doing. Ind. kicked Lugar to the curb, and a Cracker jail-bird almost beat. Barry in W.Va...(cue the banjos). We won't get what we want, pray(and work)to get what we need....less Stateism. JohninMd.